The Girl in White
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: In the Valley of End Naruto is granted salvation from death by the most unlikely person... She promises to look after him. What changes will this bring? NarutoxFem Zetsu. My first of female akatsuki fics! Next up is a Female Itachi!
1. Chapter 1

**(For a look at female Zetsu, go to Deviantart They have a pic there)**

"No..."

**"Yes.."**

"I'm not you!"

**"You are..."**

"I'm me!"

**"I'm you too..."**

Sitting in the corner, zetsu shook, white face even paler from fear.

"You made me kill them!"

**"No..."**

"Shut up! Yes you did!"

**"_You_ killed them..."**

"Stop! Stop talking to me! Leave me alone!"

**"I can't..."**

"_Leave_! Leave me alone!"

**"You _wanted_ to see their blood an your hands..."**

"No..."

**"You _wanted_ to see your teachers blood your ****"friends" blood! you did! I know! I'm you and you're...**

"Don't say it! Don't you dare-

**"Me!"**

Zetsu picked up a hand mirror, stared at it.

A feminine face gazed back at her.

Idly, she reached up to play with a strand of her shoulder length hair...

But as usual, the sight of her visage repulsed her.

Scowled, she let her lower lip tremble for a moment, before shattering the mirror against the wall.

Half the face was black half was white, and even the broken shards reflected this.

"Sometimes i can't tell the difference between us."

**"There is none..."**

**--**

**(Zetsu's P.O.V. )**

With great effort, I suppress my darker half, and open my eyes, emerging from my memory.

I know now, that this is a lie.

"There is. We _are _different."

Or so I tell myself, as I gaze upon the boy, who lays upon the floor, lifeless or so it would seem.

I have witnessed his battle with his comrade.

The Valley of End is in shambles from their epic struggle, in which a bond has been shattered.

The Uchiha won, but only through foul play, through trickery and deceit.

Although my darker half declares that victory must come at any cost...

My _human _side disagrees.

I cannot help but feel a trace of _pity_ for the boy, one who is so much alike myself, if not in appearance, than in upbringing.

Pity...

It is a rare emotion for one such as me.

"S-Sasuke...

He stirs, appears to be reaching for something, straining to grasp at it, but fall unconcious again, his fingertips within mere centimeters of-

A flash of metal catches my eye, glinting in the dim light that now begins to pierce the clouds.

"Ah...

It is a headband.

I kneel down, and reach across him, and take it in my hand.

It bears a scratch mark, reminiscent of a missing nin.

The Uchiha must have dropped it.

How ironic.

"A part of your comrade."

I place it in the boy's hand, close his fingertips around it.

"Hold onto it."

His eyes open slightly in response, blinks a few times, then notices me.

"Huh? W-What?"

"You are dreaming." I tell him, secretly glad that I chose not to wear my Akatsuki robe on this occasion, and instead a white kimono.

But why is that so?

He is a jinchuuriki.

If I so chose, I could capture him here and now, so that his Bijuu could be drained.

Yet _something_ stays my hand.

He blinks lazily, weariness slurring his words as his eyes gaze blearily upon my face.

A dazed laugh tugs his lips upward into a grin.

"Heyyyyy...You're a girrrrrl....

He passes out a second later.

I blink, once, then twice, in slow succesion, staring at him.

Yes, I am a girl, but...

Why does my face feel hot all of a sudden?

Does his recognition of my gender signify something?

Again the urge to bring him to Leader tugs at me.

Again something prevents me from doing so.

This boy...

He has the chance to become something great, a chance I was never given, never offered.

Is it...compassion that stays me?

Compassion. Another emotion I do not indulge myself in.

Until now.

My finely tuned senses detect movement.

Footfalls, rapidly approaching my position.

A rescue team?

It appears that someone _does_ value him after all.

My eyes dart from the boy, then to the north, where the sound is coming from.

I must make a decision, here and now.

I place my hand over his head, lower my face, whisper words into his ear.

"Live long and prosper...Naruto."

I tend to his more serious wounds, primarily the hole in his chest, sealing it closed.

Strangely...

I worry about him.

How odd...

"Naruto!"

Company.

It appears that I have been discovered.

**(End P.O.V. )**

--

**(Naruto's P.O.V. )**

"Why?" I muttered.

I can't believe Sasuke would do such a thing.

He left me here.

Dying and bloody.

I feel my body shift, it isn't me moving it.

I hear two familiar voices and one that's not so familiar.

Kakashi is yelling but I can't make out the words.

I feel someone pick me up, and then the wounds start to _hurt_.

Big time.

The sound comes _roaring_ back into my ears.

"Naruto!"

"Ugh...Kakashi-sensei....Not so loud...

I open my eyes, and the light hurts that too.

"Gah, why is everything so bright?"

I can tell that we're moving.

But...

"Let's get him to the hospital."

...I lost.

And what was with that weird dream?

"S-Sensei?"

"Hmm?"

"D-Did you see a girl? W-Wearing white?"

He frowns, looks forward again, as he carries me, leaping from tree to tree.

"Ask me later."

"...Kay."

**(End P.O.V. )**

--

**(Zetsu's P.O.V. )**

"Zetsu, you failed to retrieve the nine tailed jinchuuriki." Stated the Leader in a deadly voice over the hologram.

I bowed my head low.

"My apologies. It was not the right time."

"You joined this organization only recently. Perhaps I should have Itachi take your place in this mission-

"NO!" I suddenly shouted, and this drew odd looks from the other Akatsuki.

Why did I shout like that?

Hastily I bowed, apologizing for my outburst, wishing I could hide myself in my collar, instead of just my face.

"I want to prove myself Leader-sama. Please give me more time."

He stares at me for a moment, but relents seconds later, when I do not flinch

"Very well. I shall rely on you to retrieve the nine tails when all the other bijuu have been collected."

As of yet, we have not captured any.

I bowed low again.

"Arigatou."

Time is all I need.

So that I may figure these strange feelings out.

Compasion...

We shall see.


	2. Care

His angry shout was heard all throughout the village when he was given the news.

"REH?! One week?!"

Tsunade scowled at the gaki, who was currently all bandaged up and in bed.

"Yes Naruto, you're pretty banged up. The hospital staff _insisted_ that you stay a week."

"B-But-

"If this is about training then you'll have to wait-

Oddly enough he shook his head.

"No, its not about that, its...

--

"My garden! All the plants are gonna die if I don't water them!"

"I'm sorry Naruto, but I can't spare anyone to take care of it."

"No fair!"

This is what Zetsu heard, as she eavesdropped from the rooftop.

She blinked her golden eyes in mild curiosity, standing up as she did so, the evening air fresh on her pale skin, as she had neglected to switch back into her Akatsuki robes, and still favored the white kimono of before.

A garden?

He took care of plants?

A light blush lit her face.

"So kind...

**What does it matter? Just eat him! **Insisted her darker half.

She ignored it, trying to plot out the pain that exploded within her cranium.

_No. I will do no such thing._

**But he looks so tasty-**

_NO! I will NOT listen to you!_

**You? We're the same person!**

_Then as that person... I have the right to say... NO!_

It opened its mouth to speak....

But no words came out.

**You have not seen the last of me!**

--

(Naruto's house)

Zetsu was surprised to find his door unlocked.

Even more so at how _small _it was.

"A one room apartment?"

Yet once she entered-

"Hmm?"

She was amazed to find that his home was a veritable greenhouse!

He had potted plants just about everywhere, and he even had one section of his room quartered off in a greenhouse like fashion. She idly mused that this place looked more like a jungle than an actual room. And yet each plant was healthy, _perfectly _so, with not a trace of rot or decay to be found, despite her mos rigorous inspection on her fellow brethren.

Entering the kitchen, she found what looked to be a packet of seeds strewn about on the counter. Peering down at it, they were each of a different variety.

At the lightest touch of her pale fingertips, they began to bloom.

She smiled to herself, as she watched the buds emerge from the ground, then open into the air mere moments later.

She felt at home here, it reminded her of Jungle Country.

Before she knew what she was doing, she had set about the task of tending to his veritable greenhouse of a garden, despite the fact that she was supposed to keep an eye on _him, _not his plants.

Perhaps she would keep an eye on him.

She now found him rather interesting.

She looked forward to meeting him in person.

After all, she had plenty of time...

But he had said a week...

She'd make sure his garden stayed healthy until then.


	3. Greenhouse

**A/N: At long last this fic is ressurected! I hope you, all of you enjoy this ficlet and its return from the dusty cobwebs of my attic XD Of course, it certainly does help that we know quite a bit more about Zetsu now, doesn't it? This should make things awfully interesting... Also, I've updated my profile, so that you may, find the link for the pic of what our darling Zetsu looks like as a girl! Title is "Zetsu's Sexy no jutsu by VittorioDeRenardi. Anywho, enjoy! And...**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

**Greenhouse**

And so the days passed.

She tended to his garden as diligently as one might expect from a girl who was half-plant. Any intruders who dared to vandalize his home_-thereby threatening the plants and precious garden within-_were subsuquently consumed and never heard from again. In this, Zetsu was able to satiate her darker half. Though it remained silent over the course of several days, she could still sense its prescence. Dark. Lurking like a shadow. Always hungering for more. Always.

On the fourth day, the attacks ceased entirely. This pleased Zetsu. She wished only to protect the boy's garden, to keep safe the precious foliage from within. In this, she had succeeded, or so she told herself to believe. Now that the attackers had finally ceased their incessant harassment of the boy's apartment, his garden would be safe. That boy, surely he'd be pleased when he saw it! Strangely enough, this thought caused Zetsu's cheeks to burn. Why was that? What feelings did she harbour for this jinchuuriki? Was it not just compassion then, after all?

On the fifth day, there was silence. This allowed her to think. She contemplated on him, and the meaning of the flowers that the pale-eyed girl had left at his doorstep. Zetsu, of course, waited until the pale-eyed child had departed before retrieving the flowers and placing them in a vase. A pair of roses and daffodils. She approved of this choice. If that pale-eyed child had such excellent taste when it came to flowers, then surely she understood the tenure it took to tend to a garden.

She silently resolved to speak with this girl, someday.

On the sixth day, the day before the boy was to return to his home, Zetsu was pleased to note that his garden had grown considerably. Thanks to her mayfly jutsu, she need not fear detection from any of the villagers, she could simply come and go as she pleased. She only grew wary when some of the higher ecshinobi began to inquire as to the sudden

On the seventh day, Uzumaki Naruto returned.

* * *

This was his home?

At first glance, the interior of the room might have been mistaken for a greenhouse. A single large window on the far wall allowed sunlight to stream through, making it exceedingly bright and overly warm. Potted plants of at least a dozen different species and fauna lined the walls; another half a dozen grew brom bozes along the windowstill, while still more hung from planters affixed to the ceiling. There were no chairs, no table, and no desk. It was only when he saw his bed, shoved into the far corner of the room with all the rest of his belongings, that Naruto realized that this was indeed his home.

A home overrun by plants!

Naruto edged forward, eyeing the foliage warily, fearful that it might somehow attack him. How on earth had his garden become this...this...big! That was the only appropriate word he could think to use that didn't involve spitting swearing. He'd only had a couple of plotted plants in his garden a week ago! How on earth did it become something like this in the span of seven days! Warily, he curled his fingers round the doorknob, hesitant to enter...

"Welcome home," A voice like liquid whispered into his ear from behind. "Naruto-san."

_"Gah!"_

Naruto rounded on the sound, his arms flailing wildly. His fingers flew from the door's handle as he skipped backwards, desperate to put some distance between himself and it, this erstwhile intruder who'd invaded his home while he was in the hospital during the last week. When else could she have snuck into his apartment? What better opportunity than to strike while he was alone, and unguarded? All these thoughts and more riocheted around inside Naruto's head as he struggled to collect himself and his bearings. That his room was now stifflingly hot did little to ease the tension between them. to put some distance between

She, for the intruder was most certainly a she, was a pale-skinned girl of around average height, bearing rich dark green hair. She flinched at the sudden movement, shrinking back and away from the genin as he frantically fumbled for a kunai.

He took in the large eyes, perfectly coifed hair, clear skin, full lips, and lean, firm curves and he marveled at her. Hers was a beauty beyond describing, but, ultimately, it was the eyes that ensnared him him. Her eyes were large, twin pools of deep, glowing saffron, eerily unlike his own. Hers were eyes that knew pain, but at some point that pain had been taken to pieces; it had been dissected, dissasembled, examined from every angle, and then, summarily consumed. She stared at him openly, this girl clad in a white kimono, and made no effort to attack. That did little to earn Naruto's trust however, as he cried:

"W-Who in the hell're you!"

"Zetsu." The girl inclined her head and whispered softly. "My name is...Zetsu."

Naruto blinked.

"Eh?"

Dimly, he recognized her. The girl from his dream-he still thinks it was a dream-after the battle of the Valley of the End. But what was she doing here, in his apartment? What, for that matter, was he doing with a massive garden in his home! Spluttering for a moment, the blond managed to calm himself enough to ask the one question that needed a answer.

"Okaaaaaaay...what are you doing in my apartment, Zetsu-san?"

"Tending to your garden, Naruto-san."

The blond genin balked.

_"Eh! You did this!"_

That was the day that he first acknowledged her. It was like a ray of sunshine, banishing the dark clouds from her heart. For the briefest of instants she could forget about her mission, about the task that would one day be hers; to capture the Nine-Tailed Jinchuuriki and bring him to Leader for extraction. For now, as he looked upon her, noy with a look of derision or scorn, but openhearted, genuine confusion, Zetsu felt something. A wonderful incomparable feeling that no one could ever hope to describe.

It was joy.

**A/N: Oho! Zetsu makes herself known! I wonder what might happen if she goes on the training trip with Naruto? *grins evilly* Next time! A bond is formed as Zetsu becomes known to the village!**

**R&R =D**


End file.
